Yggdrasil is the ultimate DAC-for Schiit, and maybe for anyone. Compare it to anything at any price.

The Skinny:

Schiit claims(and most reviews bear out)it WILL showcase any weakness in upstream and downstream components including media. Well, they are correct. I put several of my fav CDs in and some of them sound horrible, like MP3s. Now other reviews I've read over the last year had made note of components not mustering up but CDs? Hmmm. I went through my collection and tried some others I thought make the cut. I've had Yggddrasil up and running since it arrived Thursday. Schitt says to never shut it off. Ok, no worries. Yggdrasil can't drain the coffers anywhere near as fast as leaving my gaggle of Lightstar amplifiers on year round. Thursday after the DAC warmed up for several hours I took it for a test spin. I brought some tasty treats from the likes of War, the Moody Blues and Dian Schuur to the party. If you haven't heard the Blues' tune 'Haunted' the Holograms had it spread more than 180 degrees around me Dian Shuur and Count Basie is one of my reference discs because its one of the finest recordings I've played in my system. Front to back a damn fine recording. Since the girls have been vacationing I've had many chances to give a listen to the Likes of Donald Fagan, The Doobie Brothers, Return to Forever, UFO, UK, Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush and the Indigo Girls. On every selection I'm hearing subtleties in the music that I haven't heard before. Now before you think its just me trying to justify the purchase I noted where these things were occurring and going back and playing them without the Yggdrasil in the mix. Nope not there. Now the discs sound great and I really wouldn't have noticed but no place I've been with any of the discs has resolved music to this level. Now some of this credit will have to go to the Spatial Audio Hologram M3s. But still many of these nuances aren't there when using the Tascam alone.

I've seen it written you have not heard Red Book until you've heard it played through Yggdrasil. My experience leads me to believe there is truth there.

Yggdrasil is a destination piece....it recovers music no other DAC recovers. I listened to Chord Hugo, Lamizator and Bel Canto...sadly all non-players. They don't recover all of the music. Worth every cent.